2009/2010 season thread.

[Lonz]

If Calderwood accepts the job his first game will most likely be against Aberdeen next weekend at Pittodrie (can't see him being in charge for this weekend if he does accept the job this late into the week).

What reception do you think he'll get from the Dons fans?

[Lemonade]

If Calderwood accepts the job his first game will most likely be against Aberdeen next weekend at Pittodrie (can't see him being in charge for this weekend if he does accept the job this late into the week).

What reception do you think he'll get from the Dons fans?

I don't think there's any ill-feeling there. The fans probably appreciate that he took us forward, and it's not like he left us to go somewhere else, and he's said nothing but god things about the club since he left. I'm sure he'll get a good welcome back.

[Guest Gladstone]

I don't think there's any ill-feeling there. The fans probably appreciate that he took us forward, and it's not like he left us to go somewhere else, and he's said nothing but god things about the club since he left. I'm sure he'll get a good welcome back.

I think you're living in a fantasy world. The Aberdeen fans will give him 90 minutes of dogs' abuse.

The reasonable minded Aberdeen fan will realise what JC did for the club, and that he did his best to succeed etc and didn't jump ship or any of that shit, but I've spent enough minutes in the Dick Donald stand to know that about 70% of that stand will tear JC apart anytime he manages a team against the Dons. They used to do it for 90 minutes when he was the Dons manager!

[Lemonade]

Yeah but they were pissed off because he was our manager and they wanted rid of him. Now that they've got that I really can't see anyone giving him a hard time, unless they're a total knuckle-scraper.

[Guest Gladstone]

Yeah but they were pissed off because he was our manager and they wanted rid of him. Now that they've got that I really can't see anyone giving him a hard time, unless they're a total knuckle-scraper.

That's my point, there are loads of them in the Dick Donald stand (and before anyone starts, in every other stadium up and down the country too).

I may be wrong, but I predict he gets called a cunt, on average, about once every 30 seconds if he's in charge of Killie next weekend.

[Alphas]

I may be alone in thinking this but I reckon Jimmy would do a decent job at Killie. He took a disaster of an Aberdeen team and got them on the verge of third in his first season so I'm sure he could steady the ship at Killie. Certain things were glaringly obvious with Calderwood at the Dons such as the cup results against the lower division sides and it wasn't exactly sexy football but if Killie want results on the board then I reckon he is their man. I'm sure they will take 1-0 wins any day of the week if it means moving away from relegation. Killie seem fucked financially so dropping down a division could have serious consequences for them after all.

If he comes back to Pittodrie as their manager I won't be booing him...unless they win of course, then he'll be a fat cunting judas.

[Guest Gladstone]

Aye - I think Calderwood is about as good a bet as Killie have just now. He seemed to completely divide opinion at Pittodrie, but you can't argue with the results. From the days of fighting relegation nearly every season, he delivered top 6 finishes (one a 3rd place?), European football, and some cracking results in Europe as well - some European nights for a different generation to remember. Obviously not as glorious as 1983, but still the games against Copenhagen and Bayern were absolutely tremendous - a packed Pittodrie, and some properly good football was great to see.

That's about the best couple of seasons Aberdeen has had since the 80s (or at least very early 90s).

McGhee appears to be taking them in a good direction, despite a pretty poor start, but Calderwood had an abomination of a team when he took over, and really steadied the ship, and more. He could do a similar job with Killie (doubt he'd take them into Europe, but he'll get them the fuck away from relegation, which is the main thing for them just now).

[Bigsby]

The reasonable minded Aberdeen fan will realise what JC did for the club, and that he did his best to succeed etc and didn't jump ship or any of that shit, but I've spent enough minutes in the Dick Donald stand to know that about 70% of that stand will tear JC apart anytime he manages a team against the Dons.

I think the complete lack of interest he has received since becoming unemployed (with the exception of one very poorly supported Scottish club) suggests we may have overstated the demand for him while he was here.

I can't quite understand it - as has been pointed out he beat Levein every year and yet Levein is highly respected and was a shoo in for the Scotland job. Is it just because Calderwood is an inarticulate boorish oaf and Levein wears glasses and can string a sentence together?

[Diesel]

He could do a similar job with Killie (doubt he'd take them into Europe, but he'll get them the fuck away from relegation, which is the main thing for them just now).

I'm quite encouraged by the prospect of Tango taking over at The Theatre of Pies. He definitely polarised opinion at Pittodrie and I've had several years of listening to teamates in the changing room complaining about him before matches on a Saturday - but I think he has a lot to offer.

He ceratinly did better than Skovdahl, Patterson, Aitken etc...

Jeffries did a solid job for us on an ever-decreasing budget, but never appeared to have a "Plan B". He also used to irritate me during interviews when he referred to his club (and employers) as "Kilmarnock" or "They" - it was never "We" or "Us". You always got the impression that Mumbly Jim's heart was at.......Hearts!

I think Fat Jimmy would re-invigorate what is actually a decent squad and get us away from the abyss.

[Guest Gladstone]

I think the complete lack of interest he has received since becoming unemployed (with the exception of one very poorly supported Scottish club) suggests we may have overstated the demand for him while he was here.

I can't quite understand it - as has been pointed out he beat Levein every year and yet Levein is highly respected and was a shoo in for the Scotland job. Is it just because Calderwood is an inarticulate boorish oaf and Levein wears glasses and can string a sentence together?

I think you're nearly right with your last sentence, but I think it also has a lot to do with style of play. Now, I'm basing this more on what I've read and heard than seen, because I haven't been watching that much football lately, but Levein seems to be very keen on the passing game, and trying to develop footballers, whereas Calderwood is still in the win at all costs camp. He would be happier scraping a 1-0 win through a deflected goal against Falkirk, than passing a team off the park, but losing out because of an heroic performance from an opposing keeper or something whereas Levein would always want his team to play the football. A bit like a Scottish Arsene Wenger or something. The problem we have in Scotland with the likes of Levein is that the rest of Scotland is still stuck in the win at all costs camp. A good example is Nakamura who was absolutely years ahead of anyone else in the Celtic team in terms of reading a game, seeing passes, skill, etc. but a lot of the time in the SPL he just got nullifed by getting hoofed off the ball, whilst getting zero protection from the referees. This attitude more often than not ends with the bigger hardier team bullying more skillful, cultured teams into submission.

This possibly explains Calderwood's success over Levein. Another good example is the Paul Le Guen farce at Ibrox. If left to get on with his job at Ibrox, I honestly think Rangers would by now, be by miles the best team in Scotland, but the louts in the dressing room ruined that for them.

Guys like Levein are seen as the future of Scotland as they're committed to improving the game as a whole, rather than just committed to putting 3 points on the board every week. It is a bit of a conflict of interest, because if your club is paying your wages, you should be doing all you can to get 3 points every week, but I suppose the opinion is that if you can get the team playing the right way every week, you should eventually be passing teams off the park most weeks, and this should result in winning most of the time.

[Diesel]

The problem we have in Scotland with the likes of Levein is that the rest of Scotland is still stuck in the win at all costs camp. A good example is Nakamura who was absolutely years ahead of anyone else in the Celtic team in terms of reading a game, seeing passes, skill, etc. but a lot of the time in the SPL he just got nullifed by getting hoofed off the ball, whilst getting zero protection from the referees. This attitude more often than not ends with the bigger hardier team bullying more skillful, cultured teams into submission.

I couldn't agree more and without question, most teams in Scotland go on to the pitch terrified of losing. We've forgotten how to enjoy football these days.

Having said that, I'd be happy for Calderwood to win ugly for us this season, just to keep the club afloat.

Killie has a lovely ground, a decent squad, great pies....and a population who'll jump on a bus to Ibrox every other Saturday.

I doubt we'd survive in Div 1

[Guest Gladstone]

I couldn't agree more and without question, most teams in Scotland go on to the pitch terrified of losing. We've forgotten how to enjoy football these days.

Having said that, I'd be happy for Calderwood to win ugly for us this season, just to keep the club afloat.

Killie has a lovely ground, a decent squad, great pies....and a population who'll jump on a bus to Ibrox every other Saturday.

I doubt we'd survive in Div 1

Exactly this. Since the days of O'Neill at Celtic, I've watched them go from playing exciting attacking football, to being absolutely shit scared of making mistakes, which lead to goals conceded, points dropped.

I watched some of the Spanish football last night, and it was an absolute joy. Nobody gave a shit about giving the ball away every now and again - both sides passed the ball all game, quick passing game, end to end - the moves inevitably break down quite a lot, but that leads to 5 or 6 passes from the other team, getting them up the pitch in the opposite direction. The way football should be played. None of this passing it back and forth amongst the back four. 15 passes later, you're still exactly where you were, but the opposition has regrouped and marked every player, man to man, and your hammering centre half ends up punting a long hopeful ball to a player being marked by 2 centre halves at the opposite end. Total shite.

It's frustrating as fuck as well, because all the players in the SPL are capable of passing a ball 5-10 yards (or they wouldn't be professional footballers), and of running, which is all you really need to be able to do to play attractive, exciting football. I've watched most teams in the SPL at some point just open up and start knocking about as they get confident because they're winning or just playing well. Aberdeen under Calderwood were a great example of this. Open, free flowing football in Europe midweek - giving Bayern Munich a cracking game, and possibly deserving a home victory, followed less than a week later by a scared, defensive performance against fucking Falkirk. If you can pass the ball well, and create numerous chances against Bayern Munich, you should be passing Falkirk off the pitch.

[Soda Jerk]

Good to see Liverpool getting bunted out of the cup by Reading tonight. Apparently Torres and Gerrrrraaaarrrrrrdddd went off injured, too. They've looked a little bit more convincing in the league recently, but that's an absolutely stinker of a result against a very poor Reading team. Maxi Rodriguez for 1.5m is a good signing though; Rafa should go for a 4-4-2 with Maxi, Gerrard, Mascherano, and one of their mediocre wingers across the middle, and Torres and Kuyt up front. It could work, but Benitz is so set in his tactical ways that he'll probably just stick with his rigid 4-2-3-1 system.

G&T look likely to never resume full fitness ever again. A little more understandable for Gerrard since he is probably at the top of the footballing hill, where the only place to go is down. Worrying for Torres, as he is so young. Last year, they rarely played together, and half way through this season it's more of the same. I think they obviously need replacements and a new strategy, instead of waiting until they are both fit so they can claim it is their year.

If Torres gets fed up of not winning anything, I imagine he must go for a cut price, since he's so brittle it seems.

Hopefully both will be fit for the World Cup though.

[Kieran_imray]

Fifa 10 tells me that Liverpool have signed Maxi on a free. If it tells the truth that's a very good deal.

[Soda Jerk]

Free or even 1.5mil, it's a good deal. He's better than Babel, and he's been rated at a 9 or 10 million.

[Lonz]

Free or even 1.5mil, it's a good deal. He's better than Babel, and he's been rated at a 9 or 10 million.

Aye bizarre. If Rafa knew he was signing Maxi why didn't he grab Birmingham's 9m bid for Babel with both hands?

[Soda Jerk]

Probably because he's fast. Pace = 12 million alone. Other attributes only inflate that value.

Although, by that standard, Jermaine Beckford won't be going to Newcastle unless Mike Ashley puts on a few successful accumulators.

[Shaki]

Probably because he's fast. Pace = 12 million alone. Other attributes only inflate that value.

I wish McGhee would cash in on that 24 million for Mackie and Foster.

[Guest Gladstone]

I wish McGhee would cash in on that 24 million for Mackie and Foster.

Are you trying to say that pace is the only attribute Mackie and Foster have?

What about Mackie's 60 odd goals in 60 odd seasons? Surely that's got to count for something...

[Lemonade]

I wish McGhee would cash in on that 24 million for Mackie and Foster.

We should never have got rid of Scott Muirhead. He was ace. He just pelted up and down the wing. Never actually touched the ball. Just ran up and down like a gazelle.*

*This may have been Scott Morrison. I get them mixed up.

[Shaki]

Are you trying to say that pace is the only attribute Mackie and Foster have?

What about Mackie's 60 odd goals in 60 odd seasons? Surely that's got to count for something...

Not exactly, I rounded down to the nearest 100

[Shaki]

We should never have got rid of Scott Muirhead. He was ace. He just pelted up and down the wing. Never actually touched the ball. Just ran up and down like a gazelle.*

*This may have been Scott Morrison. I get them mixed up.

You mean "We should never have got rid of Scott Muirhead. He was ace. He just pelted up and down the wing. Never actually touched the ball. Just ran up and down like a Scott Morrison"?

I agree!

[Guest Gladstone]

I remember watching a cup game between Aberdeen and Livi a few years ago on the telly in Ma Camerons. Scott Morrison went flying up the left wing and hit a zinger of a shot from about 35/40 yards, which smacked off the post. That's about my only memory of him on the football pitch.

(He later married my ex...)

[Scootray]

I remember watching a cup game between Aberdeen and Livi a few years ago on the telly in Ma Camerons. Scott Morrison went flying up the left wing and hit a zinger of a shot from about 35/40 yards, which smacked off the post. That's about my only memory of him on the football pitch.

(He later married my ex...)

Did I fuck, you liar.

[Guest Gladstone]

Did I fuck, you liar.

Is your name Scott Morrison?

The Scott Morrison that played for Aberdeen did. Fact.